Sheriff candidates talk pot, abortion and same-sex marriage

The two candidates for King County Sheriff both support an initiative that would legalize marijuana. And both candidates have shared stances on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage — issues you don’t usually hear about in a race for a county’s top cop.

Sheriff Steve Strachan is running to succeed Sue Rahr, who appointed him to succeed her on an interim basis. His challenger is retired Sgt. John Urquhart, a former department spokesman and narcotics officer.

As the sitting sheriff, Strachan made headlines when he told The Seattle Times he’s in favor of Initiative 502, which would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, as well as license and regulate production. He said the state’s marijuana laws lack clarity.

“I think the current situation is bad for the rule of law, bad for the criminal justice system and and it sends a bad message to our kids.

“With alcohol being highly regulated, we’re able to have a more reasonable discussion about it, in societies and in our families. If we treat marijuana like people are already informally treating it, you can make choices based on boundaries set by parents… (Currently) people are sort of winking at it. It lives in this kind of limbo –- it’s illegal, but also not. I think discussions will lead to better outcomes than the really ambiguous, confusing messages we’re sending to our kids.”

Urquhart also has said he supports the initiative. When he announced his campaign, he called the war on drugs an “abject failure.” That was spoken from his experience working the streets, he said.

John Urquhart

“I think it’s time for the citizens of the state of Washington to decide if they’re going to have legalized marijuana or not,” he said at a recent candidates’ forum. “I have no problem with it from a public safety standpoint or a personal standpoint.”

It’s not surprising that candidates for sheriff would get asked for their views on pot. The sheriff makes enforcement decisions, and this is Seattle, where voters approved an initiative telling city cops to make marijuana a low priority.

But this race has veered into abortion and same-sex marriage, too.

Shortly after he became sheriff, Strachan was confronted about his stance on abortion after it came to light in PubliCola that he sponsored anti-abortion bills as a Republican legislator in Minnesota. Planned Parenthood shot up a warning flare that a conservative with anti-abortion views could use the Sheriff’s Office in King County as a stepping stone to higher office.

Strachan said he’s evolved on the issue and now considers himself pro-choice. He said he was happy to answer the question but had strayed from partisan politics.

“This is a nonpartisan office and I’m sheriff for the entire county. Most of the feedback I’ve heard from people who saw that was what relevance does that have in the first place,” he then told seattlepi.com.

Urquhart supports a woman’s right to choose, according to a questionnaire he submitted to seek the King County Democratic Party’s endorsement.

At recent forums, the candidates have debated mainstay law enforcement topics like accountability and two critical audits of the Sheriff’s Office. But the bread-and-butter cop issues haven’t always generated the most interest from the public or media.

And with Washington voters about to decide Referendum 74 — which would legalize same-sex marriage — Urquhart also is out making sure voters in the LGBT community know where he stands on the issue. He spoke at a joint fundraiser last week between his campaign and the Washington United for Marriage campaign at The Lobby Bar on Capitol Hill.

“This is one issue I’m going to wear on my sleeve,” Urquhart told the crowd. “It’s so important for a police officer, especially for a person who is going to be the police chief or sheriff — to be in that community… if for no other reason than we have so many LGBT people in our police agency.”

“Marriage equality is a civil right, and it’s a constitutional right. I support the Constitution and I will be here today, tomorrow and after I’m sheriff.”

Strachan also said he supports marriage equality in a candidate questionnaire to the King County Democrats. “On several traditional issues such as same sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose, I remain progressive and supportive of Democratic positions,” Strachan wrote.